Printer offline-How can I change it to "on-line"

Anonymous
2011-01-04T17:10:46+00:00

How can I change a printer that is networked from "off-line" to  "online" to one computer?

Ours is accessible to my computer but not my wife's as her status is "off-line."

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Internet and connectivity

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Anonymous
2011-01-05T05:30:21+00:00

Hi WVseagull,

Check the status of the printer at Control Panel. Set it to online if it’s shown as offline. If this doesn’t fix the problem, check whether installing the vista driver available at your printer manufacturer’s website helps.

Step 1:

a. Click Start, go to Control Panel and select Hardware and Sound.

b. Click Printer.

c. If the Printer is offline, it shows “Offline” status. If the Printer is online it shows “Ready”.

d. If the Printer is offline, set it to online.

e. Right-click on the printer and select “Use Printer Online”.

f. The display should change to ready when the printer is set to online.

Step 2:

If still you are facing issues, then update the printer driver. This should fix the problem.

Update drivers: recommended links

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Update-drivers-recommended-links

Hope this information is helpful.

Praseetha K

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

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84 additional answers

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-02-07T22:21:06+00:00

    well, i wasted 30 minutes trying to find a way to make my Epson rx595 running over a network come back to online use. I could print to it from the computer connected directly to it, but not from the other one. I had that annoying use printer offline showing.

    I finally just went to devices and printers,

    clicked remove printer

    add network printer

    selected the Epson again and re- added it.

    that solution took me all of 2 minutes.

    should have just done that in the first place instead of trying to find the proper way to resolve it.

    works fine for now.

    hope this helps.

    After spending an hour trying a variety of other 'fixes,' I got to this one and it worked perfectly on my HP C6100.  You were right - 2 minutes and problem solved!  Thank you!

    I am working with a HP 2620.  It isn't a network printer, and most of the responses that I see are about network printers.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-02-12T12:15:38+00:00

    Use Printer Offline was not checked, but I checked it, tried printing, then unchecked it and tried again.  No luck.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-04-05T16:12:55+00:00

    I did every suggestion.  I then uninstalled the printer and reinstalled it. The printer is now working just fine.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-05-23T18:13:58+00:00

    after an all nighter trying to figure this out, I noticed that  I had a cordless phone and charger between my computer and printer. I turned the phone charge off and my printer came back online immediately. I figured must be something to do with the frequencies. Printer still on line so far. Check to see if anything like this is around or between your computer. Good Luck

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